Main menu

Tag Archives: Model Airplanes

Estero Americano Breached

Estero Americano is back within its banks. Two days ago waters rose so high here that it flooded nearby roadways. More than an inch of rainfall fell yesterday—enough to burst the sand dam at its mouth in Bodega Bay. It would have been fun to witness all that water rushing out into the Pacific.

Estero Americano looking west from Franklin School Road

More than a dozen common egrets were dining in the mudflats exposed by the receding waters. One snowy egret (the smaller bird in the photo below) joined the common egrets.

The larger common egrets squawked at the snowy egret and made it keep its distance.

Here is a photo of the driveway to the launch ramp under the Franklin School Road Bridge. Two days ago this driveway was under water.

Estero launch ramp driveway

On Whitaker Bluff Road, south of the Estero Americano, four sheepdogs stood guard over a flock of sheep and lambs.

Two of the four dogs guarding the sheep—protection from coyotes perhaps?

Biologist, Estuarian reader, and fellow paddler, Dick, writes that these dogs are Great Pyrenees.

He goes on to say, “I do believe there was a government program that encouraged local ranchers to use the dogs to guard the sheep from coyotes, and stop putting out poisons and traps. Those that participated in the program saw a dramatic drop in sheep killed by coyotes. The other problem was that indiscriminate killing of coyotes can trigger a population boom. Normally only the Alpha female in a pack breeds, but if she dies, then all the surviving female give birth to a litter of pups.”

Tomales Bay

View looking northwest from Millerton Point

Tomales Bay was placid today. The only boat other than my kayak were noisy oyster farm skiffs and the quiet cutter-rigged yacht, Will o’ the Wisp, out of Pebble Beach, north of Inverness. A subtle wind barely filled its sails. Quiet conversation shared by two men in the cockpit carried halfway across the bay.

Cutter-rigged Will o’ the Wisp ghosts down Tomales Bay

Boats sat quietly on their moorings.

Fishing vessel Vivian on her mooring

Back at Marconi Cove a model airplane pilot prepared his radio controlled seaplane for a flight in the almost still atmosphere.

This aviator had no boat to retrieve his plane in the event of a “landing” away from shore.